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Topic Summary and Research Article – Olivia

My group plans to harness biofuels from natural materials like bacteria or human fat in order to find a way to more naturally power biotechnologies within the body. With many new nanotechnological advancements for human health, people need a way to power the technology more naturally. Batteries need replacements and may leak and cause damage within the body, while natural biofuels are a safer and more abundant source of fuel. Through our project we hope to explore the benefits of biofuels both when used in the body and in the environment. People are currently trying to reduce the harmful emissions that humans release into our atmosphere and biofuels could significantly help. Harnessing biofuels from bacteria or even human fat would significantly change the way mankind thinks about safe and renewable energy and would positively affect human health in the growing world of biotechnologies.

This review discussed alternatives to lithium-ion batteries that are used to power health devices in humans. It discussed implantable biofuel cells and how they can be used to power devices inside the human body. A glucose fuel cell (GFC) produces electrical energy from chemical energy through the oxidation of glucose and reduction of oxygen. One main challenge of implantable glucose fuel cells is that they must be able to fully interact with the human body without harming it since the cells need contact with body fluid in order to function. These cells could allow humans to convert energy within their body for the purposes of powering a medical device. Glucose biofuel cells are an option that my group can discuss in our search for alternatives to batteries used inside the body.